The Sportsman Beerhouse, Huddersfield

Having just watched my beloved AFC Bournemouth's play-off hopes vanish after a gruelling 120 minutes of football and penalties, it was a bit of a rush to get back into town for a final pint to drown my sorrows before closing time. Unfortunately, by the time I made it to the Sportsman, time had just been called and my misery was thus complete as I was turned away by the barman. Fortunately a couple of Terrier's fans took pity on me and had a word with the barman who then invited me back to the bar and poured me a rather satisfying pint of Summer Wine Diablo IPA. I spent the rest of my stay discussing the game with my new friends and didn't really pay much attention to the pub, so I decided to pop back again the following day in order to try some more of the excellent Diablo and give the place a proper appraisal. The entrance takes you into a medium sized room with a curved bar counter and some retro looking decor and furnishings. There is a decent amount of bench seating and low, unpadded stools including a couple of booth-like sections. An upright piano stands at one end of the room and it appears that it actually gets a bit of use now and again. There are two other rooms leading off either side of the main bar, one of which was rather enigmatically behind a curtained doorway, but I didn't get round to exploring either of them. There is a very good range of beer available, which on my visit comprised of Timothy Taylor's Landlord and Dark Mild, Summer Wine Diablo IPA and Teleporter, Kirkstall Pale Ale, Mallinson's Sarah's Sweater, Black Sheep Golden Sheep and Empire Rights of Man. Each pump had a small shot glass in front of it, filled with the corresponding beer as a means of helping you to identify, at the very least, each beer's colour. The bar staff were happy to talk through the options if you were still unsure which one to choose. Keg beers included Vedett, Frulli, Bitburger, Maredsous and Blue Moon and the blackboards listed at least four different ciders. Since my visit, the pub has started brewing its own beer and two new ales (currently brewed at the Golcar brewery, but soon to come in house) are now available. A board behind the bar explained that the pub sold 2167 pints last week, but with no frame of reference, I'm not sure if that's good or not. I found this to be a very welcoming pub with a great beer selection and, in the evening at least, a good lively atmosphere. I wouldn't hesitate to call in here again, hopefully not so close to closing time as on this visit!